Is it rape when it's someone you know or have a relationship with?

When a woman has a close personal relationship with the man who rapes her, she - and others - may be confused about whether the attack was really a rape.

Oregon law, however, is clear on the subject of marital rape. Oregon has been a leader among the states in asserting that the marriage contract does not erase a wife's right to say no to her husband. A woman in this state who is raped by her husband has the same rights as any other victim of rape, and she can receive the same protection under the Family Abuse Prevention Act as a woman who is beaten by her husband.

Similarly, what some call "date rape" is in fact simply the crime of rape. We believe that no occasion that ends in rape can properly be called a date. Men who sexually assault their dates often rationalize: " It was a date and she knew what to expect" or " She shouldn't have drunk so much if she didn't want to do it" or "She didn't right or scream".

Women who have been raped by their husbands or dates experience many of the same fears and feelings as the victim of any sexual assault. They suffer from guilt ("Was it something I said? or did?"), from fear (What if it happens again?"), and from loss of trust ("How could he do this to me?").